Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin - The Defined Dish Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak brussel sprouts before cooking? ›

It turns out that giving Brussels sprouts a good soak can help them to cook evenly throughout. Not only will the sprouts have a better texture after being soaked, but you won't have to choose between burning the outside and undercooking the inside.

Some people swear by cutting a cross in the bottom of each sprout, which they believe allows them to cook all through – but it's not necessary, and you'll save time if you don't.

Not using enough oil.

The other secret to ridiculously crispy Brussels sprouts is tossing them in plenty of oil. We like to use olive oil, but plain vegetable oil is great too. If the sprouts are well-coated, they'll caramelize and char instead of simply softening in the oven.

One of the most common ways to cut a Brussels sprout is in half or quarters. By doing so, you reduce the size of the sprouts, speeding up cooking.

A splash of lemon juice, or even apple cider vinegar, works wonders on bitter sprouts. Another key ingredient is fat, which helps Brussels sprouts to crisp up.

Place the Brussels in a large saucepan over a high heat for a couple of minutes, then, once the pan is nice and hot, cover with boiling salted water. Boil for 5 minutes, or until just tender but with a little bite. Taste to check – they should be slightly undercooked.

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

Those „eggs” are not eggs, but cabbage aphids at different stages of maturity. They feed exclusively on brassicaceae, so other non-brassica plants nearby remain safe. In dry summers they can cause severe damage and multiply very quickly.

Purple Brussels sprouts come from the same lineage as purple cabbage (or red cabbage, as it's usually called), and in both there is a color progression as the plants mature and cold weather sets in. The leaves of the young plants have a bluer tone than those of green cabbage, and the heads turn redder as they firm up.

Yes, according to the Los Angeles Times, Brussels sprouts inherited another gene that causes them to stink up your kitchen when you cook them. When you cook Brussels sprouts they give off a gas: hydrogen sulfide. And if you are the least bit sensitive to smells, it will make you want to hurl.

Why do some brussel sprouts taste bad? ›

A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that sprouts contain a chemical, similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene. The research found that around 50 per cent of the world's population have a mutation on this gene.

Contributed by Whole Foods Market, Inc. To prepare, soak Brussels sprouts in a bowl of cold, salted water for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Soaking: Think of soaking as the initial step before actually sprouting a legume, grain, nut or seed. Many people soak beans before cooking to cut down on cooking time and reduce compounds that may cause gasiness in our digestive systems (although it's not completely necessary, it's definitely recommended).

However, the natural agents that protect them from early germination can wreak havoc in our digestive system. Soaking and sprouting replicates germination, which activates and multiplies nutrients (particularly Vitamins A, B, and C), neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, and promotes the growth of vital digestive enzymes.